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COVID-19

IN CHARTS: How the Delta Variant is taking off in Denmark

The Delta variant is starting to take off in Denmark, with 117 new cases identified in the 24 hours up until 2pm on Wednesday, bringing the variant's share of cases identified up to 25.5 percent.

IN CHARTS: How the Delta Variant is taking off in Denmark
Grønnemose Skole in the Gladsaxe suburb of Copenhagen had to send home 253 students after one tested positive to the Delta variant. Photo: Google Maps

The variant, which was first identified in India, is growing so fast that it is only a matter of time before Denmark reaches the situation of the United Kingdom where the variant is present in 90 percent of cases.

Denmark on Wednesday registered 340 new coronavirus cases, the highest daily count in more than two weeks.

Grønnemose Skole in Søborg in the Gladsaxe suburb of Copenhagen has sent 253 pupils home to be placed in self-isolation after one of the pupils tested positive for the Delta variant.

READ ALSO: Is Denmark heading for another Covid surge as seen in the UK?

Below is a chart showing how the number of Delta cases has increased week by week since the first case was identified in week 13 (the week starting March 29th

Viggo Andreasen, an associate professor of mathematical epidemiology at Roskilde University and part of the expert modelling group for Denmark’s SSI infectious diseases agency, warned that the Delta would probably lead to further school outbreaks in the autumn term.

“It must be said that the new Delta variant is extremely contagious. Even though children are less contagious, and even though adults around them are vaccinated, it must be expected that the Delta variant can cause major epidemics in schools during the winter,” he told Denmark’s Ritzau newswire.

Delta, he warned, appeared to affect those under the age of 16, who are not yet part of the Danish vaccination program, more seriously.

“What the challenge is going to be is that children and young people might themselves become ill and that some of them might become seriously ill,” he said.

“But they might also infect those among their parents and grandparents who cannot be vaccinated, or for whom the vaccine does not work.”

Below is a chart showing how the share of infections where the Delta variant has been identified has shot up over the past week.

The Delta variant, which was first identified in India, is estimated at being 50 percent more infectious than the already infectious Alpha variant, which was first identified in the UK.

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COVID-19

Who should get vaccinated against Covid and flu in Denmark and when?

It is still free to get a Covid-19 vaccine in Denmark if you are over the age of 65 or have a health condition, with the health authorities now running Covid and flu vaccinations together. Here's what you need to know.

Who should get vaccinated against Covid and flu in Denmark and when?

Who is being offered a vaccine for Covid-19 or flu this autumn? 

According to the information on the Danish Health Authority’s website, Covid-19 and flu vaccines are being offered to: 

  • People over the age of 65
  • People under the age of 65 who have a health condition which puts them at increased risk. You can find a list of the long-term health conditions deemed a risk here
  • Pregnant women in the 2nd and 3rd trimester

Children between 2 and 6 years of age are being offered a special flu vaccine for children, which is administered as a nose spray, but not the Covid vaccine (unless they fit one of the categories above). 

Those who have retired early, for whatever reason, are also being offered the flu vaccine but not a Covid-19 vaccine.  

People over the age of 65 and the parents of children between the ages of 2 and 6 will automatically receive an invitation to get vaccinated though their digital postbox at borger.dk, e-Boks and mit.dk.

People in the other eligible categories will not receive an invitation. 

If you have not yet received an invitation, do not worry, as invitations are being staggered over October and the start of November.  

READ ALSO: 

When and where can I get vaccinated? 

This year’s autumn vaccination campaign started on October 1st and will continue until January 15th. 

You can get vaccinated at one of over 50 regional vaccination sites all over Denmark, or at the over 280 local pharmacies which are signed up to be part of the programme. 

Residents of care homes for the elderly and others in need will be offered vaccinated at their home.

You can log in and book an appointment at your nearest centre or pharmacy at Denmark’s official vaccination website www.vacciner.dk.

Is it possible to get vaccinated against both flu and Covid-19 at the same time? 

The Danish Health Authority has judged that it is safe to receive vaccines against both flu and Covid-19 at the same time, but the two vaccines cannot be mixed in the same syringe, so you will receive two separate injections. 

Is vaccination compulsory? 

No. Although the strongly recommends everyone in the various risk categories to get vaccinated, it is up to every individual whether to do so. 

Is it possible to get vaccinated even if I am not over 65 or in a risk group? 

It is no longer possible to get vaccinated against Covid-19 or flu through Denmark’s national vaccination programme if you are not in one of the recommended categories, after the country’s health authorities stopped offering paid vaccinations.  

But it remains possible to get vaccinated at a private vaccination centre, such as the SikkerRejse chain found in most Danish towns. The chain, which has a waiting list, offers doses of the latest Comirnaty Omicron XBB.1.5 vaccine for a total price of 995 kroner. 

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